Relay



July 28, 1942.

6. s. FIELD RELAY lNVENTQR O. e l d,

Hls ATroriNEY.

J/lll/lllrld ifiiml- 22% Original Filed Jan. :51, 1939- Patented July28, 1942 RELAY Oscar S. Field, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to GeneralRailway Signal Company, Rochester, N. Y.

Original application January 31, 1939, Serial No. 253,857. Divided andthis application March 26, 1941, Serial No. 385,321

3 Claims.

This invention relates in general to relays, particularly of the typeemployed in railway operation, and is more particularly directed toimprovements therein.

The present application is a division of my pending application Ser. No.253,857, filed January 31, 1939, for Relays.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved plug coupler forconnecting external wires to a relay; and more particularly, an improvedplug member for such a plug coupler.

Further objects, purposes and characteristic features of the presentinvention will appear as the description progresses, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawings, showing, solely by way of example,and in no manner whatsoever in a limiting sense, one embodiment of theinvention. In the drawing Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of arelay top plug coupler employing the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view, with parts broken away, of the plug element ofthe invention.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the plug element of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and first to Fig. 1, there is here shown aportion of a relay which is of the general type disclosed in the patentto O. S. Field, No. 2,199,335, dated April 30, 1940, for Time elementrelays. Accordingly, the relay structure, other than the part relatingparticularly to the present invention, need be described in no greatdetail.

The relay, as Iragmentarily shown, includes a top 2, of insulatingmaterial, a fixed front point l3, and a back point (not shown), and iscarried by screws I5, received in threaded sleeves l6, carried by thetop, as by moulding them therein, or in any other suitable manner. Whilenot shown in the drawing, other parts of the relay to be connected tothe external circuits are treated in the same manner as these front andback fixed points.

As shown in the drawing, each plug element comprises a threaded stem 24,carrying a wrench receiving cup 25 having a rim 26. The plug itselfincludes a length of ribbon 21 of conducting material, relatively thinand wide, bent on itself to form a loop 28, the ribbon being notched atthe bend 29 of the loop to facilitate entry into the coupler. The twofree ends of the ribbon 21 are turned outwardly, as at 30, and receivedin cup member 25, to be fastened therein as by spot welding, forexample, as at 3!, with the cup rim 26 headed over to aid in holding theparts together.

This plug element is receivable in a circularly drilled socket element32, as can be seen in Fig. 1, and bears, of course, against the innerface of.

the socket member, along its four edges 33, to thus form four linecontacts.

As shown in Fig. 1, the socket member includes a housing 42 ofinsulating material such as Bakelite, or the like, carrying socketsleeves or elements 43, preferably molded in place. The socket elements43 are internally threaded, at their outer ends, to receive self-lookingscrews S on which are washers 36 between which lead wires can beclamped.

The above rather specific description of one form of this invention, hasbeen given solely by way of example, and is not intended, in any mannerwhatsoever, in a limiting sense. It is to be understood that the presentdisclosure contemplates covering all such modifications, variations andadaptations as may appear desirable from time to time, so long as theyare not specifically excluded by the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I now claim:

1. In connection with relays and the like, a quick detachable plugcoupler carrying a plug element comprising, a threaded stud, aninternally threaded sleeve receiving the threaded stud, a cup on one endof the stud, a flat ribbon like strip of resilient metal bent back onitself to form a loop, the free ends of the loop being bent atsubstantially right angles to the loop and bearing fiat on the inside ofthe bottom of the cup, a weld holding the loop ends to the cup, and therim of the cup being beaded over against the cup bottom to aid holdingthe cup and loop together.

2. For relays and the like, in combination, a plug coupler plug element,comprising, a threaded stud, a cup integral with, and carried on one endof the stud, a ribbon like strip of resilient material bent on itself toform an elongated loop, the two legs near their free ends being incontact, face to face, with each other, the free ends, beyond thecontact place of the strip being bent at substantially right angles tothe loop and received in the cup, and means fastening the said ends inthe cup.

3. For relays and the like, in combination, a plug coupler plug element,comprising, a threaded stud, a circular flat bottomed cup integral with,and carried on one end of the stud, a ribbon like strip of resilientmaterial bent on itself to form an elongated loop, the two legs neartheir free ends being in contact, face to face, with each other, thefree ends, beyond the contact place of the strip being bent atsubstantially right angles to the loop and received in and flat againstthe bottom of the cup, with each end arcuate to match the rim of thecup, and means fastening the said ends in the cup.

OSCAR HE D.

